SIVA SIVANI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT DAILY NEWS BRIEF Date: 12-01-2012 From Directors Desk

Marketing

Best Western to have 100 hotels in India by 2017 Best Western International, the world's largest hotel chain, plans to increase the number of its properties in India from the existing 34 to 100 by 2017. With the hospitality industry witnessing a 20 per cent growth, Best Western will open 10-15 hotels each year in India and focus on Tier-2 and 3 cities and towns, its officials said here on Tuesday. Mr David Kong, President and CEO, BW International, told reporters that the global chain would increase the number of its rooms from 2,568 in 2011 to 8,500 in 2017. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article2793225.ece Reliance Trends plans to take franchise route Reliance Trends, the fashion apparel arm of Reliance Retail, which has so far been opening its own stores, may also adopt the franchise route to expand operations in the next fiscal. We plan to have 100 stores by the end of this fiscal (2011-12), Mr Akhilesh Prasad, Senior Vice-President, Reliance Trends, told reporters on the sidelines of the East India Retail Summit 2012 here in Kolkata. He, however, did not give out investment figures for these additional stores. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article2793220.ece Bata gives a leg up to its small stores The Rs 1,266 crore footwear major, Bata India Ltd, plans to relocate' and upgrade 83 of its smaller stores (of less than 1,000 square feet each) into large-format ones of over 3,000 square feet each. The new larger stores will be located in the same market area. The process of relocation is expected to be over in the next 4 to 5 years. Of the 83 smaller stores that the company has across the country, it has already relocated 33 of them last year. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article2793223.ece PepsiCo plans to serve up corn-based snacks PepsiCo India Holdings Ltd, the maker of Kurkure and Cheetos snacks, plans to introduce its corn-based snacks in India. The company sells such products, particularly in markets like the US, under the Doritos brand.

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PepsiCo has already approached the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation for allotment of close to two acres of land contiguous to its existing facility at Dhulagarh near Kolkata, for setting up an additional 6,000-8,000 tonnes per annum plant to manufacture corn-based snacks. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article2793224.ece E-com to give a new face to franchising The Indian franchising industry, estimated at about Rs 90,000 crore and growing at 25-30 per cent, will take on a new avtaar with the growth of the e-commerce industry. Franchisees will become consumer delivery points for products and services with the growth of e-retailing, said Mr Gaurav Marya, President, Franchise India, an organisation that helps facilitation between franchisors and franchisees. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article2793219.ece